title: Profile of hepatic involvement by dengue virus in dengue infected children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The spectrum of liver dysfunction in children with dengue infection is wide and has been associated with disease severity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to estimate the range of hepatic involvement in dengue infection in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study assessed the biochemical and clinical profile of hepatic involvement by dengue virus in 120 children with serologically positive dengue fever (DF), aged 2 months to 14 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cases were grouped into DF without warning signs (Group 1), DF with warning signs (Group 2) and severe dengue (Group 3) according to revised World Health Organization 2009 criteria. The spectrum of hepatic manifestations included hepatomegaly (80.8%), hepatic tenderness (46.3%), jaundice (60%), raised aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and prolonged prothrombin time (41.7%) and reduced serum albumin (56%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic dysfunction was observed more in Groups 2 and 3. There was 84.4% and 93.75% ALT and AST elevation respectively in Group 2 and 94.5% and 95.9% ALT and AST elevation respectively in Group 3 and fulminant hepatic failure was observed in Group 3. Therefore in a child with fever, jaundice, hepatomegaly and altered liver function tests, the diagnosis of dengue infection should be strongly considered in areas where dengue infection is endemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Medical College and Hospitals, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Amrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Debalina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Sohini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Jasodhara
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Pramit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Swapna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
keywords: Liver function tests; Severe dengue